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BG-223 'Arachthos'
Home, Sweet Hell Arachthos. One of the primary deployments for Marines since the early 2180s, it is as deadly as it is lush. On the radar of humanity since the earlier part of the 22nd Century, the planet was thrust into the forefront of Marine activity in the last decade, as a result of numerous CLF incursions among other crises. History at a Glance 2100-2180: The rise of Arachthos Circa 2120: An unknown B-Class planet is discovered by a starfreighter, which had strayed from its course due to a solar flare. Upon return to Earth, the as-yet unsurveyed planet is charted as BG-223. Passing ships regularly conducted orbital sensor scans, but no surveys were undertaken. 2143: The first surveys are conducted on the planet by the crew of USCSS Fyne. While there is an abundance of plant life on the planet, levels of CO2 exceed 5% in concentration, lethal to humans without breathing apparatus. However, subsurface scans reveal vast deposits of rare earth elements such as Lathanum and Thulium. Further surveys note a shipwreck of unknown origin some distance north of the landing site. No attempts are made to colonise the planet at this time. 2146: A ship travelling under Weyland-Yutani ownership makes a short visit to the planet. Several days later, the ship was destroyed en route to Thedus, all hands lost. No cause has been established, but it is believed that the self-destruction was activated by the ship’s First Officer, for reasons unknown. 2155: Weyland-Yutani Exoplanetary Services commission the first of three separate Atmospheric Processors, the only B-Class planet to require more than one, owing to the high CO2 concentrations. 2176: First long-term inhabitants arrive on BG-223 in April, now christened “Arachthos”. The main colony complex is brought online by August, with UGVs being used to scan for the exact locations of mineral deposits. 2180s: A storm brews 2180: Following the incident on LV-426 and public disclosure of the existing resources on Arachthos, a makeshift colony of the CLF is established, approximately 220 km to the North of the Weyland colony. Activities beyond these are unknown at the time, but likely to have included separate planetary surveys to those conducted by W-Y. Initial skirmishes and deployment Early 2181: First shots fired on Arachthos. A CLF “prospecting” team engages a civil mining unit approximately 65 km north-west of the Weyland colony. The CLF team claims to have been engaged first, however the mining team was not carrying any weapons as part of their equipment. Within six weeks, a USCMC Battalion is deployed as a peacekeeping force at the request of Weyland-Yutani, and establishes its Forward Base 10 km north of the colony. Initial discussions are held as to the practicality of fortifying the main colony complex. January 2182: First major skirmish between CLF Forces and USCMC assets. Casualty rates are high for the CLF, seeing over two hundred rebels confirmed dead for the loss of around fifteen Marines, who were killed after their patrol vehicle struck an IED. CLF logs recovered in 2186 revealed that a six-man recon team were deployed to locate a route to bypass the USCMC forces, unknowingly via the Derelict noted in the 2143 W-Y survey. Contact was lost with the team shortly after they reported locating ‘an unknown junker’. 2182: Fighting breaks out around a former mining complex 25 km North-West of the Weyland colony. Inhabitants opposed to the Weyland “relocation” program take up arms and align with the CLF, further straining the resources of USCMC and W-Y Security Forces. Funding is approved for the Colonial Fortification Scheme, a defensive system costing four billion dollars. The defences consisted of a perimeter wall twelve feet high, and protected by a 150,000 Volt electrification, in addition to state-of-the-art automatic sentries and entrance gates capable of withstanding a small tactical nuclear weapon. The crisis deepens June 2183: A DU-25 Dragon Assault Ship from VMA-861 crashes while on a COIN patrol, approximately 80 km East of the CLF colony. Marine forces located the crash site six hours later, but were unable to find any trace of the crew save for a number of spent casings near their stations. The cause of the crash was determined to be an electrical fault causing a joint failure in the #2 rotor assembly and radar altimeter. As of 262105ZJUN88, the six crew were classified as MIA. September 2183: A Weyland-Yutani exploration team, under USCMC escort, arrives at the logged Derelict site and retrieves artefacts from its hold, taking them back to the newly-converted mining complex that now serves as their research centre. Weyland logs note that contact was lost with one of the exploration teams in a deeper section of the wreck site. Further information on the artefacts is classified. November 2183: A dropship codenamed "Bug Stomper" is shot down by an unknown energy surge near the Central Complex, 1 pilot is located at the crash site, he was found in a curled up ball, talking about some "Jungle Devil" , analysis of the wrecked dropship confirms that the energy surge was non-human in origin. December 2183: An incident at the Weyland research centre leads to a loss of contact. Marine search teams discover evidence of XX-121 ‘Xenomorph’ presence, leading to a Weyland-Yutani Bio-Containment Team being deployed. An attack by CLF forces destroys the Team’s dropship on landing, and subsequent Xenomorph and CLF attacks wipe out the Team entirely. Mobilisation February 2184: An official emergency is declared by the commander of the USCMC Garrison on Arachthos. 3rd Division Headquarters on Thedus green-lights the deployment of 6th Marine Assault Unit in order to quell the threat. Topography The planet is typically a mixture of hilly terrain and swampland, with dense foliage covering vast regions of the planet. This is in part believed to be due to historic volcanic activity, in the planet's infancy, which provided highly fertile ground for plant species which came to develop. This is both a blessing and a curse, as although it enables Marines to approach enemy positions virtually unseen, it makes defending any area incredibly difficult, with the Xenomorphs using the Marine's own tactics against them. As a result, Marines are often highly reliant on COMTECHs operating M134 Motion Tracker units in order to provide some element of forward warning. Current Status As of 210841ZNOV88, the planet is still heavily contested in a three-way war between the factions of the Marines and CLF, as well as the Xenomorph presence on planet. Furthering the crisis, an unusually cold winter has set in, the coldest recorded by the Arachthos Environmental Survey, making deployments more miserable yet. However, the tide may be turning against the CLF, as the first deployment of new Armored Vehicles and Rotor-Winged Craft to the frontline has seen a significant improvement in the Kill-to-Casualty ratio for the 6th MAU. Category:Planet